2008-07-01 

Freelance reporters detained prior to G-8 summit

A citizens group accused the Japanese government Monday of detaining a number of freelance journalists from overseas at Narita International Airport outside Tokyo ahead of the July 7-9 Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido.

The G-8 Citizens Media Center Sapporo said that three reporters from Hong Kong were grilled at the airport for around 20 hours after arriving Thursday, while three other freelance journalists, including a British photojournalist and an American columnist, were only allowed to stay in Japan through July 4, three days before the start of the summit.

Kazuomi Takiguchi, the group’s leader, told a news conference that Japanese officials have been questioning for prolonged periods foreign citizens and freelance journalists arriving in Japan for the summit. ‘‘The situation might damage freedom of speech,’’ he said.